A Hartford nonprofit has begun serving free hot meals each week to local families coping with food insecurity and rising living costs, including residents temporarily staying in nearby motels while they search for permanent housing.
Program targets families and motel residents
The initiative, organized by Angel of Edgewood, is called Wednesdays at the Table and takes place at Bertera Subaru. The nonprofit’s founder, Jendayi Scott, said the program is intended to provide immediate relief to people who face combined housing and food challenges.
“People who are unhoused and temporarily staying in some of the motels in the area, all face food insecurities,”
That concern is echoed by Hartford residents who use the service. Scott Toce, who is staying in a nearby motel while seeking a stable place for his family, said the free meals help him as he raises his 18-year-old son on a single income. Despite working full time, he described the strain of increasing everyday costs.
“It’s outrageous. I’m a single father; I have an 18-year-old son you just have enough just to get by nowadays,”
Toce emphasized that the portion sizes stretch his food budget, allowing a single serving to provide more than one meal for his household. “It could last a long way because you could have half of it for lunch and half of it for dinner,” he said. “That’s a great thing.”
Local context: working families and food pantry use
The program arrives against a backdrop of continued need across Connecticut. A joint survey by UConn and Connecticut Foodshare cited by the organizers shows that more than half of households visiting food pantries include children, and roughly one-third report having jobs. The figures underscore that food insecurity affects both families with children and people who are employed but still unable to cover basic necessities.
Organizers stressed that rising living costs have widened demand for direct meal assistance. Scott said the economic pressure makes programs like Wednesdays at the Table especially vital for residents across income brackets and living situations. The nonprofit plans to continue distributing free meals every Wednesday through Thanksgiving.
How the meals help households
Program participants described practical ways the meals relieve household budgets:
- Stretching food dollars by providing ready-to-eat hot meals that can be divided into multiple portions.
- Reducing the need to allocate limited cash toward individual meal purchases.
- Offering a stable weekly source of nutrition for families juggling housing instability and employment.
For Toce, who continues to search for permanent housing, the weekly meals are a short-term financial lifeline. “Five dollars nowadays doesn’t get you far, so that kind of food will get you a lot farther,” he said.
Implications for Hartford policy and services
The program highlights a gap in safety-net coverage for households that are working yet food insecure, as well as for those experiencing temporary homelessness in motels. Community-based meal programs can provide immediate relief, but they also point to broader policy questions about affordable housing, wages and access to consistent food supports.
| Program | When | Location | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesdays at the Table | Wednesdays | Bertera Subaru, Hartford | Through Thanksgiving |
As the city and local organizations continue to respond to increasing demand, residents and service providers say weekly community meals can be a practical, immediate support. For many families in Hartford, they provide not only a hot plate but a way to allocate scarce resources toward finding stable housing and meeting other needs.
Local residents interested in the program are encouraged to contact Angel of Edgewood for details on pickup and eligibility.
